Regius Professor of Medicine (Aberdeen) explained

The Regius Professor of Medicine is an appointment held at the University of Aberdeen, in Scotland and was formally founded in 1858 by Queen Victoria.

The university of Aberdeen, however, states that this professorship was founded in 1497 and is the oldest regius chair in the English speaking world. That claim is based upon the establishment at King's College, Aberdeen, at the end of the 15th century of a teaching post known as the "Mediciner". The first recorded Mediciner was John Cumyne, appointed before 1522^[1] but the role lapsed between 1571 and 1619 and it is stated that there were no lectures between 1793 and 1838.^[2]

The role of the Mediciner was much broader than the later concept of "professor of medicine" and described as follows:

"The study of medicine was, as has been mentioned in connection with the monasteries, regarded as an important branch of scholarship. At this time it was usual for well-educated men to include a knowledge of physics among their literary and philosophical studies, even when there was no intention of adopting medicine as a profession... The aim was to produce not a practitioner but a scholar, not craftmanship but erudition. Instruction in medicine, while it might be slight, was associated with a course in arts and philosophy. The person who received a degree of was doctus in medicina - learned in medicine - but not necessarily a skilled practitioner of the craft".^[3]

The first "professor of medicine" at Aberdeen was at Marischal College in 1700 (first held by Patrick Chalmers). The formal establishment of a "Regius Chair" in medicine was in 1858 under the title of Regius Chair in Materia Medica,^[1] later renamed the Regius Chair in Medicine. That appears to have been merged with the earlier title of "professor of medicine" (1700) and "mediciner" (1522). Although technically "regally founded" by dint of being established following the inception of King's College, there is no evidence that it was known as the "Regius Chair of Medicine" prior to 1858.

Holders

• 1860-1875 Professor John Macrobin^[4] Despite there being a letter's patent, Macrobin was refused the attribute Regius.
• 1875-1891 Professor James W. E. Smith Shand
• 1891-1912 Professor David White Finlay^[5] Finlay was addressed as Regius Professor of the Practice of Medicine.
• 1912-1928 Professor Ashley MacIntosh
• 1930-1938 Professor Stanley Davidson^{[6] [7]}
• 1939-1948 Professor Robert Aitken^[8]
• 1948-1970 Professor Harold Williams Fullerton^[9]
• 1970-1985 Professor Alexander Stuart Douglas^{[10] [11]}
• 1985-1993 Professor Richard Himsworth^{[12] [13]}
• 2004-2009 Professor Andrew Rees^[14]
• 2009-2015 Professor Michael P. Frenneaux^[15]

Notes and References

1. Book: Comrie, John D. History of Scottish Medicine to 1860. Chapter 9: The Medical School of Aberdeen. 1927. Wellcome Historical Medical Museum. London. http://www.electricscotland.com/history/medical/medicine9.pdf.
2. Book: Aberdeen before 1800: a new history. 2002. Tuckwell press. East Linton. 9781862321199. 198. Dennison, E. Patricia.
3. Book: Comrie, John D. History of Scottish Medicine to 1860. Chapter 9: The Medical School of Aberdeen. 1927. Wellcome Historical Medical Museum. London. http://www.electricscotland.com/history/medical/medicine9.pdf.
4. News: At the Court at Windsor, the 9th day of December 1868. London Gazette. 15 December 1868. 1554.
5. Obituary: David W Finlay. British Medical Journal. 2. 3281. 949–950. 17 November 1923. 10.1136/bmj.2.3281.949. 2317718.
6. Rheumatology in Scotland – The Next Generation. M Steven. Scottish Medical Journal. 55. 1. 38–42. February 2010. 17 March 2013. 10.1258/rsmsmj.55.1.38. 20218280. 46245771.
7. J. S. Robson. H. C. G. Matthew. Davidson, Sir (Leybourne) Stanley Patrick (1894–1981). 2004. online . 17 March 2013. 10.1093/ref:odnb/31008.
8. News: 8 May 1997. Obituary: Sir Robert Stevenson Aitken. The Herald (Glasgow). 17 March 2013.
9. Obituary: HW Fullerton. British Medical Journal. 25 July 1970. 229.
10. Web site: Alexander Stuart Douglas. Royal College of Physicians. 17 March 2013.
11. Web site: Alexander Stuart Douglas. Royal Society of Edinburgh. 17 March 2013.
12. Web site: Professor Richard Himsworth. Anglia Ruskin University. 17 March 2013.
13. Web site: Richard Himsworth. Girton College. 17 March 2013.
14. Web site: Coordinator and Scientist-in-charge. Medical University of Vienna. 17 March 2013.
15. News: Eminent cardiologist appointed to top post. University of Aberdeen. 24 February 2010. 17 March 2013.